Book Review: The Evangelical Universalist

Gregory MacDonald. The Evangelical Universalist(Second Edition). Eugene: Cascade, 2012.*
In 2006, then editor for Paternoster, now with Wipf & Stock, Robin Parry published the first edition of The Evangelical Universalist (hereafter simply TEU) under the pseudonym Gregory MacDonald (combining Gregory of Nyssa and George MacDonald, both notable theologians who were universalists). The goal was to present a case for universalism which was compatible with evangelical commitments to the Gospel and biblical authority. In the preface to the second edition, Parry describes the reasoning behind the pseudonym, and the reasoning behind coming clean that he was the author of this volume. At the time (and to a signficant extent still now, a decade later) being a universalist was taboo in evangelical circles. Perhaps in the so-called “liberal mainline”, but certainly no conservative evangelical Christian who accepts the authority of Scripture could hold this position… right? Parry did not want to raise questions or criticisms for his employer, but, after a few years of blogging under the pseudonym, and interacting with various individuals, he did “come out” in 2009, and in 2012, Wipf & Stock/Cascade published the second edition, with a new preface by Parry, a forward by Oliver Crisp of Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as a few new appendices addressing concerns arising since the first edition, including a response to those who challenged his criticisms of Calvinism, a response to the Rob Bell Love Wins controversy, and a study guide for groups wishing to interact with the book together.
It should be noted (as I did in my response to his chapter in Four Views on Hell) that Parry is a good friend of Rethinking Hell, having appeared on our podcast twice, and speaking at the second Rethinking Hell Conference in 2015. Even though we disagree with his conclusions, we embrace him as a brother and fine interlocutor, and welcome him as an authentic, and yes, even specifically evangelical Christian. Parry is clear throughout TEU that the universalism he is advocating is a specifically Christian, Gospel focused, and historically orthodox form of universalism. He is speaking not of a “wishy-washy” pluralism (6) that says “all roads lead to God”, but the firm hope- he calls himself a “non-dogmatic dogmatic universalist” (4)- that Christ’s victory over sin and death will be total, and God’s desire that all be saved (see , ) will ultimately be achieved through the redemptive power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and he affirms the passages indicating punishment, but reads them as penultimate, and corrective punishments, without ever dismissing the severity of sin and its consequences or downplaying the significance of these punishment texts.
Parry tracks a trajectory from Genesis-Revelation which, he argues, speaks of God’s good creation falling into sin, and God’s response is restore and heal, with the goal of all things which are from him and for him coming to him ()- the Gospel metanarrative of creation, fall, redemption, and new creation. He argues this movement is paradigmatic throughout Scripture in the scenes of falling into Egyptian slavery and exodus, exile and return, and ultimately in Jesus’ death and resurrection. All things, he argues, have a telos, a final destination or end in God. His main texts for this are & 11:28-36, , , which, if read from a certain vantage, could be read to imply universal reconciliation.
The weakness comes in Parry’s handling of the counter-texts (though of course a proof-texting war is hardly a good way to have this conversation). For instance, he claims that the only text in Paul which can, based on a surface reading be said to support the argument that “the damnation of sinners is irreversible” is (151). The problem here is that Paul on several occassions does indicate an irreversible, final destruction of some people. In for instance Paul laments that many remain enemies of the cross, and that “their end (telos) is destruction (apoleain)”. The language of telos here indicates finality and permanence to this destruction; they meet their end in this destruction, not in God. As much as we may cringe at the notion of judgement resulting in permanent and final destruction with no hope for the life of the age to come, to suggest Paul is saying otherwise requires some exegetical creativity. This notion of total and irreversible destruction is less explicit elsewhere, but certainly seems to be present in which Parry notes, but his argument against permanent destruction in that text is unconvincing. We see additional evidence of destruction with no sign of salvation beyond in Paul’s writing in , , & 6:23, and outside Paul at , & 10:28, just to cite a few examples.
The texts Parry provides are less convincing than he suggests. Although Parry tries to argue that Paul’s qualifier in – in which Paul argues that the life through grace and righteousness from Christ is for those who “obtain” or “take” (lambano, usually translated as “receive” is an active participle)- should be read in “a passive sense” (80), this runs completely counter to the grammatical sense Paul uses here. The use of the participle form of lambano in the active voice is indicative of active agency on the part of human beings, meaning to take hold of or attain. Paul does insist that endurance in faith is a prerequisite for the age to come. runs into the same problem, since the reconciliation of all things mentioned there is then dramatically qualified in v. 23: “if you continue (present active) in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.”(NIV) is derived from , which when read in context is rather exclusive, since it first flows from the imperative “turn” in 45:22, and is restricted to Israel made righteous in v. 25. So the face value reading doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Perhaps Parry’s strongest biblical argument is from . In Paul famously laments over the question of why Israel has not enthusiastically embrace the Jewish Messiah Jesus. He ultimately concludes that some have been bound in disobedience so that the Gentiles might receive, and be ingrafted, and eventually God will, through making the Israelites jealous and repentant, bring about the salvation of all Israel. Paul concludes “God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all… for from him and through him and to him are all things.” In other words, God’s plan includes bringing the exalted low, so that he might bring salvation to all. While this may seem to be the thrust of Paul’s argument, when read in light of other passages from Paul, one can’t help but conclude that Paul does not actually mean this to be read as the salvation of all people. In the case of it is probably better to read the all as referring to Israel and Gentiles without distinction, rather than every human without exception.
Of course, it must be noted that Parry, and many who share his view, do not hold these things absolutely, but conclude that Scripture provides more than enough evidence to hope that God can, and will save all. I think the exegesis he brings comes up short. Where Parry’s real strength lies is the first chapter, “A Hell of a Problem”, in which he lays out the tensions which exist in biblical exegesis and systematic theologies. He notes that a) Scripture says God desires the salvation of all, and that b) God is sovereign and omnipotent, and so concluding that some, perhaps even the majority of humanity will not be reconciled presents us the very real problem of either admitting either 1) God’s desires are eternally thwarted by humanity’s refusal to co-operate; that is, God does get what he wants, or 2) the need to do logical gymnastics to justify things. He notes a Calvinist will seek to safeguard God’s greatness and sovereignty and so will argue that God has elected some to salvation and others are predestined to perdition, and God gets exactly what he wants. But this won’t do, because God is omnibenevolent, God is love () and Scripture tells us God does desire the salvation of all. Free will theists (Arminians, Wesleyans, and others) will argue that one must choose to be saved; to co-operate with God’s redemptive work. Thus God has provided the means of salvation for all, and pleads with all to come, but will not violate mankind’s free will, and humanity, by rejecting God is able to ensure God does not achieve his ultimate goal. This too will not suffice, argues Parry, since it means that human beings can override the will/desire of God. Parry has scored an important point here, and I can’t help but agree on this one (with the caveat that his presentation of Calvinism and Free Will Theism are necessarily oversimplified), that it does create a significant problem for our systematic theologies. The problem though is that Scripture is not a systematic theology text book, and the more we try to force these things into a logical set of categories, the more damage we do the meaning of the text. Noting the damage done to the text by these attempts at a theological system does not prove universalism to be the biblical testimony.
The Scriptures, as far as I can see, cannot be read to say all will be saved without doing injustice to many, many texts. I think the biblical evidence for conditional immortality is incredibly compelling, though not without legitimate questions for those of us who profess this understanding of final punishment. Parry has raised very good questions, questions evangelicals need to wrestle with. He has pushed the conversation along, and his presentation warrants our respect and our engagement in the future. As I have said in other places, I find the case for universalism to be more compelling than the case for eternal conscious torment, but the Scriptural data leaves me affirming conditional immortality. That may raise some question marks for certain systematic theology questions, but the exegetical case is simply too strong.
*Wipf & Stock/Cascade Books provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to our good friends at Wipf & Stock.

Liked it? Take a second to support Rethinking Hell on Patreon!

4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

37:1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;be not envious of wrongdoers!2 For they will soon fade like the grassand wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.4 Delight yourself in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;trust in him, and he will act.6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.11 But the meek shall inherit the landand delight themselves in abundant peace.

12 The wicked plots against the righteousand gnashes his teeth at him,13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,for he sees that his day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bowsto bring down the poor and needy,to slay those whose way is upright;15 their sword shall enter their own heart,and their bows shall be broken.

16 Better is the little that the righteous hasthan the abundance of many wicked.17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,and their heritage will remain forever;19 they are not put to shame in evil times;in the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,but the righteous is generous and gives;22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,when he delights in his way;24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,for the Lord upholds his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old,yet I have not seen the righteous forsakenor his children begging for bread.26 He is ever lending generously,and his children become a blessing.

27 Turn away from evil and do good;so shall you dwell forever.28 For the Lord loves justice;he will not forsake his saints.They are preserved forever,but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.29 The righteous shall inherit the landand dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,and his tongue speaks justice.31 The law of his God is in his heart;his steps do not slip.

32 The wicked watches for the righteousand seeks to put him to death.33 The Lord will not abandon him to his poweror let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,and he will exalt you to inherit the land;you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,spreading himself like a green laurel tree.36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;though I sought him, he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,for there is a future for the man of peace.38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,because they take refuge in him.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

23 By myself I have sworn;from my mouth has gone out in righteousnessa word that shall not return:‘To me every knee shall bow,every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,eyes that would not seeand ears that would not hear,down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,a stumbling block and a retribution for them;10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,and bend their backs forever.”

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;27 “and this will be my covenant with themwhen I take away their sins.”

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?”35 “Or who has given a gift to himthat he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,we would have been like Sodomand become like Gomorrah.”

30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,and their words to the ends of the world.”

19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

“I have been found by those who did not seek me;I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,eyes that would not seeand ears that would not hear,down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,a stumbling block and a retribution for them;10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,and bend their backs forever.”

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;27 “and this will be my covenant with themwhen I take away their sins.”

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?”35 “Or who has given a gift to himthat he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,eyes that would not seeand ears that would not hear,down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,a stumbling block and a retribution for them;10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,and bend their backs forever.”

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;27 “and this will be my covenant with themwhen I take away their sins.”

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?”35 “Or who has given a gift to himthat he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.